Oliver Solberg wins first WRC rally in Estonia
Solberg, driving a Toyota in place of the absent eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier, showcased remarkable composure throughout the event. Reigning champion Thierry Neuville of Belgium secured third place, rounding out the podium.
'After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and (co-driver) Elliott (Edmondson) finally made it,' an emotional Solberg said. He credited Toyota for their support, adding, 'I've never had such a good time in my life.'
The victory also reshuffled the WRC standings, with Tanak overtaking Elfyn Evans to lead the championship by a single point. Evans finished sixth in Estonia, struggling to match the pace of the frontrunners. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Badminton - Shi, Wang triumph in all-Chinese China Open finals as host dominates home tournament with four titles
China's Shi Yuqi celebrates after defeating compatriot Wang Zhengxing in the men's singles final at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on July 27, 2025. -- Photo by AFP BEIJING (Reuters): Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi lifted the men's and women's titles at the China Open on Sunday (July 27), prevailing in the all-Chinese finals to cap a golden week in Changzhou. It was another strong showing for world number three Shi following his Japan Open title last week. The 29-year-old came back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21 21-14 21-15 in little more than an hour. Wang had a narrow 7-5 lead early in the second game, but Shi took over from there, dominating the rallies and never trailing again. It was Shi's third Super 1000 title of the year after winning the Malaysia Open and the All England Open. In the women's final, defending champion Wang Zhiyi secured a dominant 21-8 21-13 win over Han Yue, who had advanced after South Korea's reigning Olympic champion An Se-young retired injured in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old world number two ended a frustrating run of three straight Super 1000 final defeats this year, all to world number one An. It was Wang's second title of the year, adding to her Malaysia Masters win, where she also beat Han in the final. Wang surged to a 13-4 lead in the opener and though Han tried to claw back in the second game, narrowing the gap to 17-13, Wang's sharp movement and relentless aggression helped her close out the match in just over half an hour. China's supremacy on home soil could not be questioned as foreign players fell at the semi-final stage in all formats except for the men's doubles, which was won by Indonesians Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. The pair beat Malaysian second seeded duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi-Yik 21-15 21-14 and performed the viral "aura farming" Indonesian boat race dance in front of the Chinese crowd, much to their delight. It was the first time in a decade that an unseeded men's pair has won the China Open. In women's doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning overcame Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan 24-22 17-21 21-14. Top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeated second-seeded Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21 21-17 to clinch the mixed doubles title. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge) - Reuters
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
US swimming team hit with stomach bug at Singapore worlds
SINGAPORE: The US team at swimming's world championships in Singapore have been hit with acute gastroenteritis, an official told AFP, with two competitors skipping their opening races on Sunday. Torri Huske, a treble gold medallist at last year's Paris Olympics, and 18-year-old Claire Weinstein did not compete "so they could focus on other events", team official Nikki Warner said. "Our team experienced acute gastroenteritis," Warner said. "No one has pulled out of the competition. "Two swimmers did not swim preliminary races this morning so that they could focus on their other events." The US team arrived in Singapore after a training camp in Thailand. Huske was scheduled to race in the women's 100m butterfly heats while Weinstein was down to compete in the 400m freestyle. It was unclear how many members of the US team have been affected by the stomach bug. Nine-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky did swim on Sunday morning and finished fastest in the women's 400m freestyle heats in a time of 4min 01.04sec.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Summer McIntosh vs Katie Ledecky rivalry heats up in Singapore
TEENAGE swimming sensation Summer McIntosh launched her world championships with a packed programme and will go head-to-head later Sunday with Katie Ledecky as they renew their Paris Olympics rivalry. The 18-year-old Canadian McIntosh and American great Ledecky, who is a decade older, will face off on day one in Singapore in the evening for the 400m freestyle crown. McIntosh is the world record holder and favourite, especially with Australia's Paris Olympics gold medallist Ariarne Titmus on an extended break following the Games last summer. McIntosh took silver in the French capital behind Titmus, with Ledecky third in the weaker of her three freestyle events. In the morning heats on the opening day of competition in Singapore, nine-time Olympic gold medallist Ledecky fired an early warning shot and qualified fastest for the 400m final in 4min 01.04sec. McIntosh eased through in 4:03.11, behind Ledecky and Australia's Lani Pallister. 'It's always good to get the first one out of the way and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week,' said Ledecky, one of the best swimmers of all time. With the 400m free final hours away, she added: 'It'll be a great race, lots of great competitors in there. It should be a fun, fast field.' McIntosh, who broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, started her programme by qualifying second-fastest for the semi-finals of the 200m medley -- another event she holds the record in. With a busy day in the pool ahead of her, McIntosh had plenty left in the tank in reaching the semis in 2:09.46, a finger tip behind Australia's Tara Kinder. McIntosh, who won three gold medals along with her silver in the French capital a year ago to become one of the stories of the Games, is pursuing five individual titles over the next week. Also into the semi-finals in the women's 200 medley was the Chinese prodigy Yu Zidi, aged just 12. She launched her championships by narrowly qualifying in 2:11.90, in what is not her strongest event. The school girl will also compete at the championships in the 400m medley and the 200m butterfly. Germany's Olympic champion and newly minted world record holder Lukas Maertens is strong favourite to win the men's 400m freestyle later Sunday. He moved into the final second-fastest in 3:43.81 -- his world record is 3:39.96 -- behind chief rival Sam Short (3:42.07). Short's Australian team-mate Elijah Winnington, the Paris silver medallist, surprisingly failed to qualify for the final - AFP
